More people are interested in buying locally made products than ever before.
You can capitalize on many consumers’ return to local shopping by emphasizing that all components of your furniture are made in the United States, or in your town or area.
The same applies to handmade goods. Individuals who are tired of mass-produced goods are often the same people who are interested in buying locally.
Given this climate, it is a good time to start a handmade furniture business.

Big news for anyone coveting the camper van lifestyle: The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will now be made in the U.S. The Sprinter van has grown increasingly popular stateside as a base for camper van conversions, used by DIYers and custom outfitters alike. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

Since 2006, Sprinters for U.S. customers were assembled in a South Carolina plant from components shipped from Europe. This process was cumbersome and “a huge burden” said Bernie Glaser, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA. “The logistics process is a nightmare.” But it was better than paying a 25 percent tariff on imports—also called the chicken tax—imposed on automakers that build vehicles overseas for the U.S. market.

To compete with American companies building more affordable vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz broke ground in 2016 on a new $500 million addition to its commercial van factory in South Carolina. The state-of-the-art facility will employ a total of 1,300 people by 2020, up from 900 currently. According to estimates, suppliers will create an additional 600 new jobs in and around North...

And Amazon is the world’s largest Sprinter customer

Big news for anyone coveting the camper van lifestyle: The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will now be made in the U.S. The Sprinter van has grown increasingly popular stateside as a base for camper van conversions, used by DIYers and custom outfitters alike. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

Since 2006, Sprinters for U.S. customers were assembled in a South Carolina plant from components shipped from Europe. This process was cumbersome and “a huge burden” said Bernie Glaser, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA. “The logistics process is a nightmare.” But it was better than paying a 25 percent tariff on imports—also called the chicken tax—imposed on automakers that build vehicles overseas for the U.S. market.

To compete with American companies building more affordable vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz broke ground in 2016 on a new $500 million addition to its commercial van factory in South Carolina. The state-of-the-art facility will employ a total of 1,300 people by 2020, up from 900 currently. According to estimates, suppliers will create an additional 600 new jobs in and around North Charleston.

Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz Vans opens a new Sprinter plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Construction is finished and the plant is up and running, just in time to build the 2019 Sprinter van. The third generation Sprinter will offer new connectivity services and navigation software, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel six-cylinder engine, as well as the company’s first-ever gasoline model.

The first customer of the new 2019 Sprinters: Amazon. The e-commerce giant ordered 20,000 Sprinter vans that will be branded with Amazon logos and used in the retailer’s delivery service program. Mercedes-Benz Vans reports that this makes Amazon the world’s largest Sprinter customer.

Mercedes-BenzThe new Amazon-branded Sprinter vans, fresh off of the assembly line.

“The USA is already the second largest market for our Sprinter today. With the new, state-of-the-art production site in South Carolina, we will be able to supply our customers in North America even faster and with more flexibility in the future.” said Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

What does this all mean for campers hoping to get their hands on a Sprinter van? The new plant should be better able to meet the growing camper van market and should significantly reduce delivery times. Better yet, the Sprinter is now a made-in-America vehicle.

And Amazon is the world’s largest Sprinter customer

Big news for anyone coveting the camper van lifestyle: The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will now be made in the U.S. The Sprinter van has grown increasingly popular stateside as a base for camper van conversions, used by DIYers and custom outfitters alike. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

Since 2006, Sprinters for U.S. customers were assembled in a South Carolina plant from components shipped from Europe. This process was cumbersome and “a huge burden” said Bernie Glaser, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA. “The logistics process is a nightmare.” But it was better than paying a 25 percent tariff on imports—also called the chicken tax—imposed on automakers that build vehicles overseas for the U.S. market.

To compete with American companies building more affordable vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz broke ground in 2016 on a new $500 million addition to its commercial van factory in South Carolina. The state-of-the-art facility will employ a total of 1,300 people by 2020, up from 900 currently. According to estimates, suppliers will create an additional 600 new jobs in and around North Charleston.

Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz Vans opens a new Sprinter plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Construction is finished and the plant is up and running, just in time to build the 2019 Sprinter van. The third generation Sprinter will offer new connectivity services and navigation software, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel six-cylinder engine, as well as the company’s first-ever gasoline model.

The first customer of the new 2019 Sprinters: Amazon. The e-commerce giant ordered 20,000 Sprinter vans that will be branded with Amazon logos and used in the retailer’s delivery service program. Mercedes-Benz Vans reports that this makes Amazon the world’s largest Sprinter customer.

Mercedes-BenzThe new Amazon-branded Sprinter vans, fresh off of the assembly line.

“The USA is already the second largest market for our Sprinter today. With the new, state-of-the-art production site in South Carolina, we will be able to supply our customers in North America even faster and with more flexibility in the future.” said Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

What does this all mean for campers hoping to get their hands on a Sprinter van? The new plant should be better able to meet the growing camper van market and should significantly reduce delivery times. Better yet, the Sprinter is now a made-in-America vehicle.

Give your business a name. Name your business something that indicates what you sell. This will come in handy later on, when you are marketing your business and want people to associate your business name with handmade furniture.

File a DBA, which stands for “doing business as,” at your local county clerk’s office. You may want to do a search to ensure that no other business in your town is operating under the same name. If you live in a large metropolitan area, a search is a necessity.

Create a line of furniture. You’ll need to have models of each piece of furniture that you intend to sell, so that customers can easily visualize what you have to offer. Add to your furniture line each year so that your stock stays fresh and on-trend.